UK economic crisis to deepen as passport staff go on five-week strike amid approaching vacations

London: In a dispute over pay, employment, and working conditions, more than 1,000 Passport Office employees throughout the UK will go on strike for five weeks. The Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union will have a strike from April 3 through May 5 at passport offices in Durham, Glasgow, Liverpool, Newport, Peterborough, and Southport. From April 7 to May 5, there will be a walkout in Belfast. The union warned that the strike will have a “significant effect” on the delivery of passports as summer approaches and described the action as a “significant escalation” in the protracted dispute. Members also want changes to their pension plans, job security, and protected redundancy terms, in addition to a 10% salary increase. However, the government has stated that the expectations of the civil service are unaffordable and would cost £2.4 billion. PCS general secretary Mark Serwotka stated: “Despite two significant strikes and sustained, targeted action for six months, ministers have refused to conduct any meaningful talks with us, in stark contrast to other parts of the public sector. Their strategy is additional proof that they treat their own employees worse than anyone else. “They’ve had six months to settle this dispute, but during that time they’ve refused to increase the 2% forced pay increase and ignored the other problems that our members have expressed concern about. “They appear to believe that if they disregard our members, they will disappear. But given that 40,000 civil servants use food banks and that 45% of them are claiming the benefits they manage themselves, how can our members ignore the expense of living crisis? “The fact that so many members of this government’s own workforce are living in poverty is a national scandal and a stain on this government’s image.” After COVID restrictions were removed in the UK and abroad in 2022, the Passport Office saw a “record number of applications,” according to the Home Office. Last year, 360,000 individuals had to wait more than 10 weeks to get their visas. Additionally, the Passport Office should “prepare for comparable levels of demand” in 2023, with up to 10 million applications anticipated, according to a report by the government’s spending watchdog, the National Audit Office. On February 1, employees of the Passport Office joined the PCS-represented 100,000 civil servants who were participating in a nationwide strike impacting 124 government agencies. On Wednesday, which was the biggest day of strikes since this current wave began last year, about 133,000 civil employees also went on strike. Read all the Latest News , Trending News ,  Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.